Celebrity Grief Incites Overkill
Los Angeles – In Los Angeles, the end of summer ushers in awards shows, fires, intense heat and something slightly more sadistic: coyote killing season.
Armed with reports of Jessica Simpson’s pet being snatched by coyotes and an incident with an individual in Griffith Park, the U.S. Department of Agriculture trapped and killed seven coyotes in the past week.
“We are deeply sympathetic for Ms. Simpson’s loss,” said Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (spcaLA) President, Madeline Bernstein. “But, her situation should not give credence to what is clearly overkill. Instead, we should focus on how to coexist with wildlife.”
Killing coyotes could have negative long-term effects. Fewer coyotes could lead to an increase in their food supply, resulting in a future increase of the coyote population. Unfortunately, coyotes cannot be trapped and then re-released into the wild because they cannot adapt quickly enough to their new surroundings and will die.
Rather than going to the situation of last resort, spcaLA encourages positive cohabitation between humans and wildlife. Following these simple steps can lower the risk of coyote encounters.
• Do not feed coyotes. |
